At Dupre, we consider safety a part of everyone’s daily driving habits, not something that’s just for commercial drivers. Our Director of Safety &Training, Al Lacombe, shared his thoughts on safe driving for the holidays, and we want to share his practical advice with you as well.

With Thanksgiving behind us, we now start into December with Christmas & the New Year ahead. The traffic we’ve all seen this past weekend was just an example of what is to come. As drivers of motor vehicles today, it is easy to be distracted by everything happening around your vehicle and other motorists. We must watch all vehicles – someone else’s driving mistake could easily involve you.

We have to ask ourselves – are we focused on the task at hand? Multitasking today is common and many drivers do this during the task of driving. Multi-tasking limits your ability to watch your surroundings. What are the vehicles to your left doing? How about the drivers on your right? Are you able to tell what the driver in front of you is doing going down the road? Do you scan the next intersection for the next driver that could make a mistake? Are your lights on to be seen and clean so that the other drivers can see you as you approach?

Are we as drivers avoiding our in vehicle distractions? Are you trying to drive with the distractions of children needing something before you get to the next stop? Is the cell phone where you can reach it, and are you talking on it, focused on a conversation and trying to pay attention to the roadway at the same time? Over a period of time has texting become natural but it takes your focus away from your surroundings. Are you watching for the yellow light; the driver who just made a driving error; or the person that cut you off? Are you driving defensive as the traffic increases?

With the holidays quickly approaching and celebrations with friends and family, we just have too much to risk by driving while distracted. Make sure we you are always driving for the conditions around our vehicles, watching for the mistakes other drivers might make, and make sure we do not make these same errors in our driving.

Remember to AIM FOR SAFETY this holiday season, and enjoy this time with your family and friends.